Pressure Sores Case Study

Reduction of Acquired Pressure Sores in Hospital Settings

Pressure ulcers are defined as zones of the skin that are damaged because of remaining in the same position so long that the tissues become deprived of oxygen and begin to become nonviable. . Pressure sores are also referred to as bedsores. Importantly, pressure sores can also occur when relatively insignificant pressure acts on an area of skin for a long period of time. The pressure that the skin undergoes cuts the flow of blood across it. Blood restriction reduces the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the skin, which makes it start breaking down, and it results in the formation of an ulcer. In most cases, pressure sores form around bony prominences. These are areas where bones are

Chou, R., Dana, T., Bougatsos, C., Blazina, I., Starmer, A. J., Reitel, K., & Buckley, D. I. (2013). Pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention: A systematic comparative effectiveness review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 159(1), 28-38. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-159-1-201307020-00006

6 (cross-sectional)

2. Swafford, K., Culpepper, R., & Dunn, C. (2016). Use of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers in an intensive care unit. American Journal of Critical Care, 25(2), 152-155. doi:10.4037/ajcc2016963

5 (case-control)

3. Cowan, L. J., Stechmiller, J. K, Rowe, M., & Kairalla, J. A. (2012). Enhancing Braden pressure ulcer risk assessment in acutely ill adult veterans. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 20(2), 137-148. doi:10.1111/j.1524-475X.2011.00761.x

6 (cross-sectional)

4. Low, L. L., Vasanwala, F. F., & Tay, A. I. (2014). Pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention for the family physician. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 23(2), 142-148. doi:10.1177/201010581402300208

1 (systematic review)

5. LeBlanc, J. (2015). "Reducing Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers." Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 36(1),

According to Chou et al. (2013), the effectiveness of pressure sore preventive interventions is mostly consistent with system reviews, which established that more static surfaces decrease the risk of a patient developing pressure ulcers. This is in comparison with the ordinary mattresses that are used by hospitals. However, there is not enough evidence on the relative effectiveness of dynamic surfaces and other preventive interventions that can be used to reduce acquired pressure sores. For instance, a quality trial showed that assessment instruments for pressure ulcer reduce the danger of developing incident pressure ulcers in patients as opposed to less consistent risk assessments founded on clinical decisions of nurses. Findings from another review differ from the survey carried out by Chou et al. (2013) because they incorporated patients who had suffered from preexisting higher-stage ulcers. The data being collected for analysis was hard to interpret because patients at a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers might have undergone more intensive interventions. Also, the findings show that the accurateness of instruments used to assess the degree of risk is dependent on the subsequent active interventions. Anyway, the risk of developing pressure sores in a hospital setting can be reduced through the use of beds with static support surfaces. The study by Swafford, Culpepper, & Dunn (2016) found out that pressure sores reduced by